Vatra

This place has a couple things going for it, location and its lunch specials. The food is mostly typical grill fare. It isn’t exceptionally innovative but it meets expectations. With a little time and the humility to act on recommendations from the Unilocal community this place could be another Arcadia fixture.

After passing Vatra often, I finally decided to meet friends for Happy Hour here. I liked! House Salad was tasty. I would have preferred Blue Cheese dressing but the citrus dressing was a nice touch. Pizza crust was on the thin side but toppings and sauce were yummy. I ordered the Moroccan Chicken to take home and made for a perfect snack.
Overall, I like this place. I look forward to seeing this cozy spot become more and more popular with Phoenix locals. Cheers!

Very disappointed in my experience at Vatra. This place has so much potential, and a great location, but missed the mark for me. My biggest complaint is their quality of meat. The beef is corn fed. I ended up ordering it anyway (I ordered the rib-​eye) and was disappointed in the fatty piece I received, although the seasoning was good. I did not ask specifically about their chicken, but the menu did not specify all natural or organic. We were unhappy with the service we received as well. Our server seemed ‘put out’ the whole time. Our plates did not get cleared for a very long time after we were done eating, our waters weren’t getting re-​filled, just little things that make the difference between a good dining experience and a bad one. I like the idea of the wood fire grill, and they do have a nice patio, but to be honest, I don’t think I will be re-​visiting Vatra Grillhouse.

The GF and I went here on a Friday night around 9p and we were one of three tables. Granted, it was kind of late, but not especially so for a Friday. We were greeted immediately (and why wouldn’t we be when the place is empty) and given our choice of table. We both ordered pre-​dinner drinks while we perused the menu, which were a little slow to come considering how dead the place was.
We decided to make a meal out of several small plates, a salad and a pizza. When the server returned to take our order, she informed us they were out of one of the apps we ordered because they were changing their menu the following week and had run out of that particular item. We didn’t take it as a great sign that they were already changing their menu after being open for a month. In addition to our food, we ordered a bottle of wine to have after we finished our drinks. I will say that they have a very nicely priced (for a restaurant) wine list with some good picks on it.
After waiting quite a while for our food to start appearing (remember, the place is empty) our server came to the table to explain that things were taking longer because their computers had crashed earlier in the evening? What? There’s no one in the restaurant. Just hand write checks and give them to the kitchen. Anyway, food started arriving and everything was pretty good, but nothing was spectacular. The biggest annoyance was that our bottle of wine didn’t show up until we were pretty much done with our salad and appetizers. Again, the place was empty so there was no excuse for that. The highlight of the night, at least in my GF’s opinion, were the s’mores dessert. I will admit they were pretty damn tasty.
Overall, I’m not in a big rush to hurry back to Vatra, but it’s in the neighborhood so I’ll probably give it another shot at some point. I can see it as a good place to grab a glass of wine and some apps at the bar as long as you’re not expecting amazing cuisine or great service.

Some of these reviewers have a lot of time on their hands to find this much fault in a place. Unilocal sure has helped a few egos.
Nice little hip place that enhanced the neighborhood and looks a hell of a lot better than the purple pad that was there before.
Ive had dinner there twice and both times service and food was great. Going back in a couple of weeks and excited that there’s a new place in the area. Worth every cent.

3^rd time is a charm… My boyfriend and I went in on Sunday night for a quick bite, which after winding up on the cozy patio we decided to enjoy a bottle of wine and Ribeye dinner. I am a bit of a steak snob and so is he, but we were bothed very impressed with the regular portion Ribeye and the value it has. It was a delicious meal and living so close we will be back!
Side note: We would like to see some more TV’s go in the bar so we can ride our bikes up to watch football!

I couldn’t wait to try Vatra at 56^th St and Indian School. I don’t know how many times I drove past on my way to Scottsdale and said «We gotta check that place out!» So we finally did. The roommate and I stopped in for a quick glance and a glass of wine on our way to Scottsdale a few weeks ago. I was very impressed. Complimentary valet (tiny parking lot so they kinda have to), smiley hostess, large bar and over all great feel. The patio was my favorite part esthetically; loungy area, pretty waterfall thingy, and the bar even opens out to it. We didn’t have a chance to eat, but the menu looked great. The people next to us were enjoying what looked like amazing wood fired pizzas. We will for sure be back to check out the food.
Side note: The roommate has been in one time before for lunch and she said the sammy she had was great.

Had an enjoyable dinner at Vatra over the weekend. Love the décor, service is good, prices are very reasonable. We had Moroccan Chicken, Salmon, Salad and burgers. Everything was GREAT!

We recently ate here, as we feel it very important to support local businesses. The staff was welcoming and very friendly. Our particular server knew how to take care of customers, not always the case anymore. The décor is inviting and comfortable. I ordered the Arcadia salad. It was good. My companion ordered a pizza. Not so good. The crust was crispy, but the toppings and sauce had no flavor. Really surprsing since pizza is supposed to be a specialty. We’re thinking the kitchen just had an off-​night. We will try again.

Great food, great service, reasonable prices.
It’s in an excellent location at the corner of Indian School and 56^th Street. I love the look of the place. It manages to have a clean modern look but still be warm and welcoming too.
Our server was friendly and engaging.
I had the jerk pork chop and my wife had the paella. Both were excellent. We had a nice petite syrah with that. Prices are very reasonable, with most of the entrees in the mid-​teens and most of the bottles of wine in the low 20’s. Dinner for 2 is going to run you about $ 60 with wine and you can’t beat that.
A great neighborhood restaurant.

I am always excited when a new restaurant comes to my hood. I wanted to like Vatra so much I actually went twice in one week-​lunch and dinner to give it a chance. Actually lunch was pretty good. They start you with a great bread basket with whipped butter with paprika and garlic. The décor is really nice but almost too much for the casual vibe of the menu. I had a pizza with arugula and proscuitto and it was
partner had a chicken sandwich that was decent but not memorable. We also ordered a grilled (chared romaine) caesar-​which was not good-​at all. Kind of stingy on the parmesan and croutons and with a creamy dressing that had no hint of garlic or anchovy. then don’t call it a caesar.
When we went back for dinner I had the 5.00 glass of wine which was great and we ordered the Brie appetizer, what’s not to like about warm Brie but it was topped with an apple chutney-​not enough flavor or amount to really blow me away.
On to the jicama salad which was a disaster. Truly, one of the strangest salads I have ever had. The salad came in large bowls brimming with chunky strips of jicama with an almost non-​existent dressing. It had a few bites of cucumber and very little roasted corn-​so essentially a bowl full of jicama which can get mighty boring after a few bites. The best thing on the salad were candied spicy dried mango but even those little gems couldn’t save this salad.
We also shared a steak with chimichurri sauce-​which was a very good sauce but not enough of it to really get the full on flavor, it came with a few and I mean few roasted vegies.
The server was okay-​you could tell he was new. This place needs to put its A game together to succeed. Arcadia has a lot of good eating and right now this place is not even in the top 10.
Underwhelming is the only adjective I can think of.

I am shocked by some of the bad reviews for this restaurant! I have been to Vatra twice now and have loved it both times. I went for dinner once and Happy Hour– it has the potential to be a good happy hour spot. The style and ambience of this place is amazing. Seeing this place from the outside doesn’t give it justice. Inside the décor is chic and hip. There are great views of Camelback mountain from the patio. The patio should be hopping in the fall when it cools down.
Everything I have ate there so far has been really good. I love the shrimp and bacon pizza and the kabobs. The smore dessert is fun and I love smores! The drinks are amazing. I really like the sunflower drink and the lemon basil martini. And the best part the food is actually really cheap!
Each time I went there I sat in the bar area and the bartenders are great. Both times I went and it was the same two guys. I think one of their names was Brandon… they were awesome and really friendly. I can’t speak for the servers as many people have given them bad reviews.
I am really hopeful for this place. It is a great location and I think if they get their server kinks worked out then it will be an arcadia hot spot for dining.
PS. the price range given for this place is wrong definetly in the $$ range. The food is surprisingly affordable.

We were eager to visit and try the «new place» in the ‘hood. Especially because it appeared to be a sophisticated environment considering the location on Indian School & 56^th, just south of Arcadia.
I met my friend at the bar, waited 10 minutes or so for a table and enjoyed a glass of wine. There was a nice selection and the majority of it priced under $ 10 a glass.
The design is simple and unassuming, which led me to believe in the service and food being of higher importance (both great aspects of a successful restaurant.) We were promptly escorted to one of the best seats in the place for people-​watching and great one-​on-​one conversation. The settings were in the way, we pushed them aside and continued in conversation.
The service was just ok, same with the food. We had a chicken and fish entrée, not sure which ones though. An odd part of the evening happened every time that the server would come to our table, he addressed us as «Kids». Apparently, sitting in the best seat and conversing, on a Friday night & drinking wine by the glass, is not the best way to get respect or attention.
We were only a «deuce» or a 2-​top. We weren’t there to be sold. We didn’t ordered a bottle. We were occupying his «money table» during the 7pm slot. We weren’t interested in small talk with him.
The server sized us up immediately and figured that either we were on a date, or that we didn’t truly «get» what good service truly is at a restaurant. He rarely checked on our glasses of wine. My friend actually had to ask for a second glass while her empty wine glass sat there, mortified.
I’ve opened restuarants, hotels, spas, coffee shops and done more in the «service industry» than most my age. My friend’s background as a Stylist is also about catering to a client, being friendly, confident and comfortable.
The finishing touch to the incompetence of the server? Walking over to the table, check in hand, shaking his head «no», and saying, «You’re probably not going to have anything else, are you?» while setting it on the edge of the table.
I value my time enough to know when the staff needs some assistance with the finer points of service: Engage with your clients, offer suggestions /​don’t sell, be courteous, don’t judge and always be authentic.
I’ll be back in a few weeks to see if they value constructive criticism.

Good area and great atmosphere for what was a purple garage a couple months ago! They’re still working out some kinks but they try they’re best. For example, they ran out of ketchup but walked across the street to buy some for me. I recommend the Moroccan chicken and the steak sandwich.

Amazed at the good reviews here. Maybe the heat is affecting their tastebuds? The Sunflower specialty drink was bitter and not shaken well so it was barely cold. When the new bartender came on, I asked him to reshake it and add more sugar to the rim as it was (and I said this loud enough for him to hear) the best thing about the drink — he never even asked if I liked it or not (I didn’t finish it). The Jicima salad was tasteless and would have been better as a plate decoration under a piece of fish or chicken. All the raw onion in the salad I, unfortunately, was able to taste for hours. The ribs were just ok. We had to cut our losses at that time and move on to somewere better. Ambiance is good. I hear the pizzas are good. If I do go back, I’ll opt for a pizza and a beer. Then again, there are LOTS of pizza and beer joints that cost a lot less and have good parking.

Sometimes it’s the uniqueness of desserts alone that make a restaurant stand out… which is why I was thrilled to find Vatra had included S’mores on their menu! The classic childhood favorite included melted dark chocolate and each ingredient was served separately making for a wonderful presentation.
I had met a friend for happy hour, so we didn’t try a main course but rather split the Jerk Wings and Jicama Salad. LOVED the Jicama Salad!!! I would definitely order that every time… it was fresh ‘sticks’ of jicama tossed with cucumber, grilled white corn, red onions and a cilantro-​lime dressing then topped with chili coated candied mango.
The Jerk Wings were very well seasoned and had amazing flavor… served with a mango chutney. Although honestly I prefer Teakwoods wings with a cheap pitcher of beer — but these were definately a classy alternative.
The décor is nice and simple. Very open feeling and clean/​contemporary look. i tried quite a few of their signature cocktails and my favorite was The Original Purple which was Finlandia Wildberry and Chambord. A runner up favorite was the Sunflower with Grey Goose Poire & Amaretto DiSaronno.
i love the location, it’s very conveniently located on my commute home and parking was valet/​complimentary (of course, tipping is proper). I’ll definitely be back for a full course meal!

I’d like to review the food, but we never had a chance to sit down. We called ahead and asked for a reservation. They said that they weren’t taking reservations, but we were given a one for 5 people as a courtesy because the website said they took reservations. We showed up about 15 minutes early, expecting to wait until our reservation time. The hostess looked at us, panicked, and said that it would be about 15 minutes because there were only two large booths. We waited and were ignored for over 40 minutes, and then watched them seat a 5 top that had just walked in the door instead of seating us. We let them know that we were leaving. They said that we needed to be patient because they were new. We left, since clearly our family party was not as high a priority as 5 adults.
They were also not seating tables outside because they had not staffed the patio, despite the weather being cool enough, and the bartenders didn’t want to wait tables outside. Overall, the staff is clearly overwhelmed and not ready for their opening crowds.
We live down the road and I’d love to be able to walk there for lunch, but after that experience, I may not bother. There are plenty of great places to eat around here that know how to treat customers well.

It makes me so happy when I find a great new lunch spot! Vatra has a fabulous menu of… carbs! If your dieting, i recommend you save this for later!
They bring two kinds of bread to start with a tomato butter– pace yourself, there is more! My friend and I shared the Smoked Brea appetizer, which is smoked on a cedar plank– when it arrived at our table, the cedar smell filled out table and the flavor eased into the cheese– so good! The apple chutney on top was so delicious with the cedar flavor!
We also shared the Aria pizza and asked to add caramelized onions, a great touch! The crust had a good flavor and the ricotta and prosciutto on top were very fresh, however this is not bursting with flavor. I found myself taking some of the tomato butter and putting it on the pizza. oops!
I love the contemporary, zen atmosphere and really can’t wait to go back for dinner– I have heard that in such a short time, the place packs people in!

In this uncertain economy I am constantly amazed at how new places are popping up all the time. As I was driving down Indian School I was surprised to come across this new place Vatra Grillhouse that seemed to just be there one day. My curiosity peeked I found myself there for lunch the next day and had a fantastic time.
Let me first say that the décor is clean and crisp, airy and flowing and would have absolutely amazing 5 years ago. In falls into the design genre of he Hip and trendy places that dotted Scottsdale for years and have been replaced by the cozier «tavern» type places. Even so the place is comfortable and if I was not such a design snob, Vatra has cool vibe. I look forward to the side patio when the weather allows.
Service: Now as you can see I gave this place 4 stars so I liked it on whole. However, I am going to get chippy anyway. Based on the décor, I feel the owners are striving for some degree of hipness and trend. But the staff looked more Olive Garden or Applebees then a cool Arcadia/​Scottsdale boit. My server was actually quite capable if not incredibly nervous. The entire crew looked lost and awkward and completely void of any energy and soul. I guess it is the fact that the staff seemed incongruous with the place that was strange and a little disappointing.
But now we get to talk about the food. We learned that the named Vatra is Hungarian for fire (or so the waiter told us), showcasing there grilling prowess. My prime rib sandwich was as good as any I have ever had. Good portion, tasty caramelized onions and perfect roll. I subbed out one of the feature salads for my side and it was perfect. The sausage skewer app was a generous portion, super flavorful and creative. My friend had the veggie sandwich, which was quality as well. And yes the veggies were freshly grilled and perfectly seasoned. I have not raved about the food at a brand new place in a long time like this. This is certainly an area of great focus and attention for this group.
Just to be clear, the reason why I am nitpicking here a bit is because I want this place to work. the food is fantastic, and the place is right there on the verge of being a classic for a long time. Far be it from me to insult the staff or claim to be a designer, but I am an avid restaurant goer and I know what I like. The food alone will bring me back for another visit and with a little tweaking this place could be a heavy hitter.

we visited Vatra on saturday. i believe their grand opening was on wednesday. we found out about the new restaurant from our niece who works here. the restaurant use to be an auto repair shop. they did a beautiful job in converting it. it’s decorated contemporary with a nice atmosphere. the food here is so fresh and i would like to return to try other entrees on the menu. and then i will give them the fifth star.
what we had for our early dinner: i ordered the pineapple rum chicken. delicious & flavorful chicken breast with pineapple-​rum glaze; served with vegetable skewers and sweet potato wedges. personally i would of preferred the sweet potato wedges to be grilled a bit longer. Mr H ordered the rustica neapolitan style pizza w/​a nice side salad and added chicken. we pretty much shared everything and left satisfied & happy. lastly they only do valet but it is complimentary — just tip.